Humidifying apparatus



July 19, 1932. J. A. MAYERS 1,867,921

HUMIDIFYING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 19, 1928 II M l} INVENTOR. H MM J Jaarfifi flzam/vaze' M4 YEFS BY H g 1'} M ATTORNEY Patented July 19, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH ALEXANDER MAYERS, OF CUMBERLAND, MARYLAND; TAYLOR MORRISON EXECUTOR F SAID JOSEPH ALEXANDER IVIAYERS, DECEASED HUMIDIF'YING- APPARATUS Application filed September 19, 1928. Serial No. 306,864.

. 1c erence should be had to the accompanying drawing and descriptive matter in which I have illustrated and described preferred embodiment of the invention.

Of the drawing Fig. 1 is an elevation of one form of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a modified form;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged elevation in section of the mixing device; and

Fig. 4: is an enlarged elevation partly in section of the regulating valve shown in Fig. 2.

In the drawing and particularly in Fig. 1, I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention in which a reservoir chamber A is connected by a pipe A having a regulating valve A to a source of water, such as a city supply main. As shown the pipe A is connected to the top of the reservoir chamber and the incoming water drops into the chamber. A constant water level is maintained in the reservoir by the connection thereto of an overflow pipe B at the desired level.

A water outlet pipe 0 is connected to the reservoir chamber at a point slightly below the water level therein whereby a constant fiow of water is maintained. A regulating valve or cock D is mounted in the pipe line C. The valve D is so adjusted that a predetermined amount of water drips from the end of the pipe G into a funnel E positioned below the pipe end. The funnel E is conr nected by a pipe F to an enclosed flash boiler chamber shown in Fig. 1 as a heating coil G located in a refractory housing H. A fluid fuel burner J is arranged in the housing below the heating coil and a flue gas outlet 11' provided in the housing top. A fuel supply pipe J having a regulating valve J 2 therein is connected to the burner. The housing is open at the bottom to provide sufficient air for combustion. The burner flame is pre vented from being extinguished when the housing is connected to the building chimney by a down draft protector H positioned over the housing opening H. a

The lower end of the heating coil G is connected by a pipe G to a steam discharge pipe K, the lower end of which is located in a water seal M and the upper end of which passes through the floor K into the room in which the atmosphere is to be humidified. An overflow pipe M is attached to the seal M adjacent the upper end thereof. The overflow pipe B connects with the pipe K just above the water seal.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 3, a mixing device L is mounted on and surrounds the upper end of the steam discharge pipe K. The mixing): device comprises a tapered nozzle L positioned in the upper endof the pipe K with the tapered discharge end of the nozzle positioned in an open ended cylinder L A bowl L is secured to the pipe K with the upper so portion of the bowl surrounding the lower end of the cylinder L The cylinder is suitably supported by and spaced from the sides of the bowl. Steam passing upwardly through the nozzle L and marginal openings L formed therein is mixed in the cylinder L with air drawn in below the lower end of the cylinder. Any condensate collecting on the sides of the cylinder drops into the bowl L and accumulates in the bottom thereof 90 until the liquid reaches the level of and overflows into the upper end of the pipe K. The condensate passes downwardly through the mar inal openings L to the sealing apparatus.

The pipes B and F are arranged with depending U-shaped portions B and F, re spectively, adjacent the connections ofsaid pipes to the pipe K and heating (3011 G. The .tube portions B and F act as traps to pre- 100 vent the passage of steam upwardly through the pipes B and F respectively. The portions of the pipes B and F above the U-shaped portions B and F are preferably made of sufiicient length to permit the water in the U-shaped portions to back up under the pressure of the steam in the boiler chamber without overflowing. In the embodiment illustrated this length is preferably as great as the portion of the pipe forming the outer leg of the U-shaped portion.

l/Vith the apparatus arranged as described water under pressure is passed into the reservoir chamber A from a water supply main, the pressure in which may vary as much as The overflow pipe B maintains a constant head on the pipe C and when the cock D is properly adjusted, the water drips down into the funnel E at a constant rate of flow, for eXample,'at about twenty drops per minute which will be sufiicient to properly hu- ;midifyadwelling house of ordinary size. "Passing downwardly the water enters the steam generating coil G where it is heated by the r p-flowing combustion gases. By the time it reaches thehigh temperature zone at the bottom of the coil sufiicient heat has beenE- added to the water to evaporate the water and. the steamgenerated passes 0E through the pipe G to the steam outlet pipe i=ture discharged into the rooms to be humididied. The products of combustion are maintained separate from the steam generated, and are carried off to the house chimney in any suitable manner. .Any water passing downwardly in the overflow pipe B will be conveyed to the water seal whichv also receives any condensate forming in the pipe K. Withthe above rate of water flow, the fuel regulating valve J is adjusted until approximately one and one-half cubicfeet of'natural gas is passed to the fuel burner per hour.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 2, the reservoir chamber A and overflow pipe B areeliminated and a special regulating valve P utilized to maintain a constant rate of flow of water from the source of supply to the funnel E. As shown in Fig. .4,;the valve P is cylindrical chamber R. As the water passes into the chamber from the pipe F it immediately flashes into steam in contact with the heated bottom surface ofthe chamber and passes out through the steam discharge pipe GI While in accordance with the provisions.

of the statutes, I have illustrated and described the best form of embodiment of my invention now known to me, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the form of the apparatus disclosed without departing from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appended claims and that in some cases certain features of my invention may be used to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

Having now described my invention What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A humidifier comprising in combination a closed flash boiler, means for passing water at a constant rate to said boiler, 'afluid fuel burner for heating said-boiler, a steam discharge pipe connected-to said boiler and having its discharge end opening to the space to be humidified, and a mixing nozzle-surrounding the discharge end of said pipe for mixing air from said'space' withthesteam before its discharge into said'space.

2. A humidifier comprisingzin combinati on a closed flash boiler chamber, means for passing water at a constant rate to said chamber, said means consisting of a reservoir connected to a source of supply,.an overflow pipe connected to said reservoir .at. a predetermined level therein, a water outlet pipeconnected to said reservoirat a point-below the normal Water level therein and a pipe having a U-shaped depending portion passing Water from said water outlet pipe to said boilerchamber, a fluid fuel burner below: said chamber, a steam discharge pipe connected to said chamber and having itsiupper-end open to the space to be humidifiediand its lower-end submerged in a'water seal, and said overflow pipe being connected tosaid'water seal.

3. A humidifier comprising in combination a closed flash boiler chamber, a" fluid fuel burner below saidchamber zmeans for passing water at a constant rate to said chamber comprising a water inlet pipe-connecting the upper end of said boiler chamber: to a source of supply, said inlet pipe having a depending portion below the level of the connection of said pipe to said boiler chamber, and a steam discharge pipe connecting'the lower end of said boiler chamber to a room to be humidified and maintaining saidsteam separate from the products of combustion.

4. A humidifier comprising in combination a closed flash boiler chamber, means for y passing water at a constant rate tosaid chamber comprising a water inlet pipe connecting the upper end of said boiler chamber to a source of supply, said inlet pipe having a depending portion below the level of the connection of said pipe 'to said boiler chamher and .an upper portion of approximately the length of one of thelegs of said depending portion, and. a steam discharge pipe connecting the lower end of said boiler chamber to a room to be humidified and maintaining said steam separate from the products of combustion.

5. Humidifying apparatus comprising in combination a steam generator, a steam outlet pipe connecting said generator to the space to be humidified, and an air and steam mixing device in said space mounted on the discharge end of said outlet pipe and comprising a bowl surrounding the upper end of said pipe, a tubular member positioned within and spaced from the sides of said bowl above said pipe to permit the passage of air from said space into the lower end of said tubular member, and an injector nozzle in the discharge end of said pipe and extending into the lower end of said tubular member, whereby a circulation of air and steam through said tubular member is provided.

Signed at Cumberland in the county of Allegany and State of Maryland, this seventeenth day of September, A. D. 1928.

JOSEPH ALEXANDER MAYERS. 

